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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28550916">Alone Again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClothesBeam/pseuds/ClothesBeam'>ClothesBeam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mind Control, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, unless you're Maruki hur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:01:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28550916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClothesBeam/pseuds/ClothesBeam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Goro is tired of being used as a tool in Maruki’s never ending attempts to make Akira happy. But the good doctor is as motivated as ever to give them both what he thinks they want and need.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Kurusu Akira &amp; Maruki Takuto, Maruki Takuto &amp; Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alone Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>No happy endings here. I got around to finishing Royal and found the bad ending so creepy, and I’ve tried to expand on the feeling in this because…???</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goro didn’t know where his feet were taking him, but it was hardly the first time this had happened. He had no control over himself anymore, which was particularly horrifying when part of him knew – and would never forget, despite Maruki’s efforts – that he was supposed to be a corpse.</p>
<p>The uniform clad students in front of the school up ahead soon clued him into the fact he was headed for Shujin. Undoubtedly that meant he was being inserted into another pal around with the band of morons. And indeed, their large group soon came into view.</p>
<p>He needed to stop walking and turn around. Right now. But no matter how he tried to will his feet to do what he wanted, they continued onward. And soon enough it was too late.</p>
<p>“Akechi-kun!” various members of the group greeted.</p>
<p>Kurusu looked as listless and apathetic as the last time he’d seen him in this new reality. But on hearing his name he quickly looked up. Goro fought his own facial muscles even though he knew he had no influence over them anymore, and it was the TV smile that appeared when he greeted them.</p>
<p>Kurusu looked like he was going to be sick. Goro didn’t blame him.</p>
<p>Well, no. He did blame him. All of this was his fault, after all. But he did find himself sickening too.</p>
<p>Goro realised he, or at least his body, was corralling the others to take a group photo. Kurusu’s grimace in response to being told to smile was somewhat satisfying. It was what the idiot deserved. Though it did also trigger a pang of something else.</p>
<p>But obviously this kind of miserable expression wasn’t what had been intended, since at that moment a poorly disguised Maruki appeared from nowhere to offer to take it for them. Goro wanted to spit in his face, but instead found himself agreeing and joining the line-up. Kurusu shot him a concerned look that he couldn’t return, but in the end he played along too.</p>
<p>After a moment the others unnaturally decided to disperse, and then it was just the three of them left in front of the school gates. Returning to the metaverse was like a slap in the face after everything had been numbed and out of his hands for so long. His spirit of rebellion immediately covered him and he was finally able to <em>move</em>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately Maruki had him tangled up in weird tentacles before he had a chance to so much as attempt to snap his neck. Maruki ran a hand through his slicked back hair and gave Kurusu a rueful smile.</p>
<p>“This isn’t it either, hm?”</p>
<p>Kurusu shoved his hands in the pockets of his uniform slacks and looked away. “It’s fine,” he muttered. “You’ve made the others happier than I ever could.”</p>
<p>“It’s not fine!” Goro snapped, relieved when it was his own voice that came out. “If you want to make <em>me </em>happy, then just kill me already!”</p>
<p>Maruki sighed. “Goro,” he said like he was scolding a misbehaving child. He turned back to Kurusu, who was now looking alarmed, and his expression softened more. “It was never my intention to lessen your bonds, but they’re better off without the trauma that led to them in the first place. Still, there has to be something I can do to make you feel better too.”</p>
<p>Better off? What a joke.</p>
<p>“You’ve already tried that multiple times, haven’t you?” Goro scoffed. He alone seemed to have a complete memory of all of them. And Kurusu was the only other one who had even the slightest clue.</p>
<p>Maruki frowned and mirrored Kurusu, putting his hands in the pockets of his otherwise pristine suit. “Perhaps what I need is better data to work from,” he said slowly. “With a little time, I can use my palace to conduct further analysis of your circumstances. Then I could come up with a better reality for you two.”</p>
<p>Kurusu looked uncertain. “I don’t know. I’ll be fine. But…” He looked at Goro. “You need to stop making him act all fake. He’s obviously aware of it in the moment.”</p>
<p>Maruki had the gall to look guilty. “I… I know. The both of you react differently to my power than everyone else. But you’re the one who gave me all of this, Akira-kun. And now that I have the power to repay you with whatever you could desire, I can’t seem to work out what that is.” He chuckled to himself. “It’s a bit embarrassing for someone who’s supposed to be an academic.”</p>
<p>Kurusu rocked back and forth on his feet as he seemed to digest that. He looked up at Goro again, expression blank.</p>
<p>“If I let you examine me, you have to make a reality where he can be himself too.”</p>
<p>“Don’t decide on this like I’m not here,” Goro snapped.</p>
<p>Maruki shook his head. “No, Akira-kun is right. I’ve already made you suffer enough, and I need to make it up to you too.”</p>
<p>“Then put things back to the way they were! For me, at least.”</p>
<p>“That will just make Akira-kun all the more miserable.”</p>
<p>Goro felt the growl rip up his throat. “That’s his problem to deal with!”</p>
<p>Maruki only took a few steps closer, demonstrating just how much of an impotent threat Goro was to him now. “There’s a way to have both. And I will find it,” he said firmly.</p>
<p>“I hate you!”</p>
<p>“I know,” Maruki said quietly.</p>
<p>Goro’s stomach lurched as the tentacles suddenly deposited him in some kind of examination chair. He was held down as something was strapped to his head, and trying to lash out didn’t do much of anything. That idiot Kurusu had let him grow too powerful. He’d even taken their allies away.</p>
<p>“If you will, Akira-kun.”</p>
<p>Kurusu sat on the chair next to him and glanced over placidly as Maruki put the device on his head. “Do you… have to do that?”</p>
<p>“If I don’t he will, as he thought just now, snap my neck,” Maruki said lightly. “Or perhaps even do something drastic to himself.”</p>
<p>The latter statement seemed to be enough to make Akira duck his head and drop it.</p>
<p>“You’re a fool, Kurusu.”</p>
<p>The ex-leader of the Phantom Thieves sighed and laid back. Maruki patted his shoulder, giving him a fond look before moving behind one of the nearby terminals.</p>
<p>What a freak.</p>
<p>“Just leave it to me. I won’t let you down again,” Maruki promised with an edge in his tone that was usually absent.</p>
<p>Goro felt the tentacles loosen, but everything went dark before he was able to take advantage of the lapse.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akira looked around Leblanc, reflecting on how he’d lucked out getting a part time job in such a quiet café. Boss had even said he could close up early today, if he had plans. At first he’d thought it strangely lenient, but then he’d realised it was because today was White Day.</p>
<p>At least he wasn’t so blind as to ask him anything about seeing a girl.</p>
<p>Akira collected the last of the dishes and said goodbye to the last couple of customers as they headed off. He hurried to put them in the sink, but before he could even think about going over to turn the sign, the bell was ringing once again.</p>
<p>“<em>Irasshaimase</em>,” he called as he dried his hands off. Hopefully the person wasn’t going to stay too long.</p>
<p>“<em>Tadaima</em>,” a familiar voice mocked as he heard one of the stools be pulled out.</p>
<p>Akira looked over his shoulder then laughed, a little embarrassed. Goro smiled, something wicked lying under it as always. “Well, you do come here often enough to consider it a second home. Guess I should give you an <em>okaeri</em> next time.”</p>
<p>Goro shrugged. “What can I say? I heard the coffee was good. And that the barista is cute.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t know Boss was your type,” Akira replied innocently, with a vicious smile of his own.</p>
<p>Goro slowly shook his head. “You’re a menace.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he replied brightly. “Did you want a drink?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m taking you out,” he replied nonchalantly. “Go get your jacket, I can finish those off.”</p>
<p>“Ok, geez. Pushy,” Akira replied as he took his apron off and hung it up in the small kitchen area, trying to deny the excitement the sudden invitation had triggered. He’d given Goro chocolate on Valentine’s mostly just to test the waters, but it seemed a month had been long enough for him to mull over the development and find it agreeable.</p>
<p>Goro simply smirked at him as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, so Akira hurried upstairs. He looked around at the dusty mess before grabbing his schoolbag and jacket from the relatively clean corner that held the sacks of coffee beans. He didn’t bother changing back into his school shirt and tie, but he did pull the jacket on since it would be cold out.</p>
<p>As he glanced around to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, something struck him as being intensely wrong. He got the feeling he should be coming back here to sleep over in the corner later, but from what he could see there was no bed over there. And wouldn’t someone scold him the minute they saw how messy the room still was?</p>
<p>Akira squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his chin. Pain pounded through his head, but it passed quickly. He blinked his eyes open, and his attention was immediately drawn to the jacket he was wearing. For some reason he’d been expecting to see black and red, not khaki.</p>
<p>Akira inhaled deeply as he tried to pull himself together. He’d worked hard enough to get the grades to get into his schmancy private school on the same scholarship as his ex-sempai downstairs. His parents had even moved to Tokyo for the sake of his education, so why shouldn’t he feel right in the uniform he’d been wearing for the last two years?</p>
<p>He slowly made his way downstairs to find Goro was almost done with the dishes. He glanced over Akira, and something almost sad entered his expression.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Goro met his eyes again, searching for something. “Nothing, it’s just strange to think I won’t be wearing that ever again.”</p>
<p>“It must be good to be done with school, though. You’ll graduate officially soon.”</p>
<p>Goro hummed noncommittally as he finished off the last couple of dishes. “Come on, let’s get going. You know how my mother worries when I get back later than intended.”</p>
<p>If everything upstairs hadn’t seemed quite right, this was intensely wrong. He looked away from Goro’s hard gaze as he tried to figure out what was going on with him today.</p>
<p>The thing was, he did definitely know what Goro meant. Ever since they’d teamed up to change his father’s heart last year, her anxiety had become a lot less intense. But she still had some worry about the bad crowd her boy had almost become tangled up in.</p>
<p>“Oh, right. How is she?”</p>
<p>“Alive,” Goro replied carefully, not taking his eyes off him.</p>
<p>At his strange response, a surge of guilt rose inside him. Akira stumbled back into the bottom stair, nearly tripping over. He gripped the bannister and brought a hand to his forehead again.</p>
<p>Goro took hold of his forearm and pulled him away from the stairs. “You still remember, don’t you?” he asked harshly, squeezing his arm painfully.</p>
<p>“S-stop it, you’re hurting me,” Akira said quietly, still massaging his forehead. The fact he was let go of a moment later did surprise him for some reason.</p>
<p>Goro let out a burst of humourless laughter. “Well, when you do remember, keep in mind that he broke his promise to you. He just forced me to let you go.”</p>
<p>And suddenly, Akira knew exactly who he was talking about. “Maruki?”</p>
<p>Finally, Akechi relaxed again. “You had me worried for a minute there,” he admitted quietly. “What the hell kind of reality is this, anyway?”</p>
<p>Akira rolled his eyes. “If he saw the aquarium and the jazz club, then what else was he supposed to think?” he asked dryly.</p>
<p>“Are you trying to say this is my fault?” Akechi demanded sharply.</p>
<p>“Well, all of this is based on your memories and thoughts as much as mine.” Akira folded his arms and smirked. “You’re the one who initiated the flirting, after all.”</p>
<p>For a moment he actually looked embarrassed, but then it disappeared and he took his phone out. “I was waiting to see your reaction to the new reality. Conclusion: we’re going to that bastard’s palace right now and telling him to shove it.”</p>
<p>“You know, I was being serious about my question. How is your mother?”</p>
<p>Akechi made a good attempt at glaring a hole through him. “Awful, obviously. Like her son, she only exists to make one person happy.”</p>
<p>“I just… wanted you to have another chance,” Akira muttered as he tapped his toes against the ground. “With everyone.”</p>
<p>“If this is the only way to have that, then I don’t want it.” He folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. “What did he do to you, anyway? When did you become such a pushover?”</p>
<p>Akira scratched the back of his head. “I wasn’t exactly pushed to act like this before all the Phantom Thieves stuff,” he muttered. “Once upon a time I was a quiet kid who mostly kept to myself.”</p>
<p>“So you grew thanks to your suffering, at least. As did I, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“It’s like that for everyone,” Akira said as he compared what he remembered of his friends to what he knew they were like this time. “I just… I can’t stand the others in this reality.”</p>
<p>Akechi’s brows shot upward. But he waited, as close as he could get to patiently, for him to continue.</p>
<p>“I’m assuming we were only dropped into this reality a few minutes ago, but I have memories of things that happened here. There was that interschool track meet I volunteered to help out at for scholarship brownie points. Let’s just say you can really tell Ryuji never had a need to learn the meaning of humility here.</p>
<p>“Also after seeing her around the place a few times, I’m pretty sure Futaba had her level of intelligence reduced so she could fit in more easily. She never hacked anyone for the sake of her idea of justice here.”</p>
<p>Akira took a deep breath, getting ready to continue, but Akechi didn’t seem to be interested in hearing it. “I know, I know. I’ve met them all across various realities now. You only ever seem to remember the original and the current one.”</p>
<p>He tightened his folded arms. Akira waited for him to go on.</p>
<p>“It’s always been either me or them. You gave them up for the sake of their selfish desires, and now I don’t want to be here. So guess you found a third option after all.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably the one I deserve.”</p>
<p>Akechi sighed. “If you didn’t already look so cut up about it, I’d agree. But after everything, this torture is probably what <em>I</em> deserve. Still, I’m not just going to sit here and let it happen.”</p>
<p>Akira stared at the floor, unable to meet his eye. “Even if you did die, or…” He swallowed uncomfortably and avoided saying the word. “You know he’d just undo it.”</p>
<p>Akechi nodded. “That’s why I need you to understand that I’m suffering. If you feel worse about me being part of his terrible machinations than me being dead, then he’ll have no choice but to give you what you want.”</p>
<p>Akira felt stifled by a rush of emotion. He’d always had the overwhelming feeling that they’d met in the wrong place at the wrong time. And based on past conversations he was pretty sure were from the original reality, he knew Akechi felt the same way.</p>
<p>Maruki really had worked hard to make everything perfect this time. But his artificial world could never be enough, not when he thought about what he was giving up in exchange.</p>
<p>“I’ll contact him,” Akira said quietly, resigned.</p>
<p>Akechi pushed away from the wall, but took hold of his arm before he could reach for his phone. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours here. To say thanks,” he added awkwardly.</p>
<p>Akira didn’t know whether that would make things better or worse in the long run. But as they’d already established, he was too weak to say no.</p>
<p>Goro’s hand slid into his, and Akira doubted he was going to get home in time to ease his mother’s worries.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, I’ve failed again,” Takuto murmured as he leaned forward in the chair next to Akira’s bed. The boy glanced at him, but didn’t respond. “And I put so much effort in this time as well. It was actually pretty exhausting,” he joked, to no reaction.</p>
<p>Takuto pushed his glasses up his nose and twiddled his thumbs for a moment. Maybe he’d just have to offer Akira the next best thing to a perfect reality.</p>
<p>“Should I perhaps just keep you here in my palace? Then you won’t have to risk remembering things that are only going to hurt you.”</p>
<p>Akira looked away. His silence bothered Takuto, but he knew it was unfair to ask him for anything more than he had already. Still, he would have to be a fool to not see the parallels between where he was now and where all of this had started.</p>
<p>Unlike Rumi, Akira just looked exhausted. It was likely he would recover on his own someday, and then they could try again. In the meantime he could learn more about his own powers and capabilities, and perhaps resolve this memory issue.</p>
<p>“I will at least make sure your loved ones are happy forever. So don’t worry, all right?”</p>
<p>“They don’t live out there anymore,” Akira said suddenly, but the smile was quickly wiped off Takuto’s face when he continued. “Only in here. That’s why I have to remember.” He brought two fingers to his forehead and a hand to his heart before letting them drop to loll at his sides again.</p>
<p>Perhaps there was a way to manifest them in the way he remembered, inside the palace. They would be altered shadows and they wouldn’t be able to leave his palace, but at this rate Akira would never want to go back into the world again anyway.</p>
<p>“Just leave it to me,” Takuto said as he stood up. “You can hide here for as long as you need. It’ll all be all right.” When he received no response he nodded slowly and left the room.</p>
<p>With infinite time and infinite possibilities at his disposal, he was sure he would be able to resolve this if he only continued his research.</p>
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